Interview with Rudy Mazzocchi, author of EQUITY OF EVIL

Rudy A. Mazzocchi is best known as a medical device and biotechnology entrepreneur, inventor, and angel investor, with a history of starting new technology ventures throughout the U.S. and Europe. He’s been privileged to have the opportunity to see the newest innovations in healthcare and work with some of the most brilliant researchers, scientists and physicians in the industry.

Authoring more than 50 patents, he has helped pioneer new companies involved in cardiology, oncology, orthopedics, neurosurgery and even embryonic stem-cell development. Through these efforts, he has become the recipient of many technology and business awards, including the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in Healthcare and the Businessman of the Year Award.

Combining these experiences and opportunities, with thousands of hours of travel and long evenings in hotel rooms, he found the initiative to start writing a collection of medical thrillers based on true events, the first of which is entitled EQUITY of EVIL.

You can visit his website at www.rudymazzocchi.com.

ABOUT EQUITY OF EVIL

A Venture Capital Fund makes a risky investment to start a challenging new business that appears capable of reaching profitabililty with modest capital requirements. The real challenge: optimizing one of the most frequently performed surgical procedure in the World — Abortion.

Founding Partner, Roman Citrano, a successful entrepreneur turned venture capitalist, soon struggles with what he believes is his choice to establish the controversial new company. He soon realizes that he and others are but pawns on a massive, ugly chessboard being manipulated to benefit a far larger, illicit market in human organs for transplantation. Unknowingly, prime, hyper-enriched organs are spawned from the aborted fetuses and grown like hydroponic vegetables.

An unfolding world of deceit, rape, human trafficking and assassination becomes deeply personal as Roman’s sole love interest secretly uses one of his new abortion services to terminate her untimely pregnancy. When she disappears, his frantic search becomes a hellish nightmare that grows worse by the hour.

Based on true events, this bold novel involves some of the world’s oldest, most emotional and controversial issues. At the core of each matter is man’s predisposition to control and take ownership of the human spirit for the sake of profit and person gain… such is the dark and brutal new world where life becomes the equity of evil.

Q: Welcome to The Writer's Life, Rudy. Can you tell us how long you’ve been writing and how your journey led to writing your latest book, Equity of Evil?

Well, this is my debut novel that I started writing approximately three years ago. Prior to this, my only real writing experiences came from the authoring of more than 50 patents and dozens of business plans, helping to pioneer new companies involved in cardiology, oncology, orthopedics, neurosurgery and even embryonic stem-cell development.

My twenty-five years of being a start-up CEO in the med-tech industry required me to travel to multiple continents, providing the privilege of working with some of the most brilliant clinicians, researchers and scientist throughout the world. Combining these experiences and opportunities, with thousands of hours of travel and long evenings in hotel rooms, I found the initiative to start writing a collection of medical thrillers based on true events, the first of which is entitled Equity of Evil.

Q: How did you choose your title and was it your first choice?

The original title was Harvest of the Unborn. After a second professional edit, I was finally able to secure the support of a Literary Agent (The Trident Media Group in New York City). There was some concern over the title of the book with the large publishing houses, and it wasn’t until we attracted the interest of a smaller publishing company (Twilight Times Books) that we made a collective decision to change the title with the hope that it might increase the scope of our audience. Harvesting seemed to place too much of an emphasis on the abortion and fetal stem cell themes in the story. These are only elements of the story and not the entire story.

Equity of Evil better represents the essence of ownership that evil people often use in the manipulation of others for personal gain. This stronger title is intended to reflect the challenges that readers will encounter in the story; ones that will force them to question their personal views on capitalism, ethics, and the basic morality of his fellow man.

Q: We all know that publishers can’t do all of the publicity and that some lies on the author. What has your publisher done so far to publicize the book and what have you done?

Our goal is to initially introduce this novel to the public in eBook format and then follow with hard copy and paperback editions depending on readers’ reviews and acceptance. The publisher engaged a publicist who organized the solicitation of reviewers and guest blogs. I personally also retained another promoter (Pump Up Your Book) who established a Virtual Book Tour, expanded our blogging, twittering, radio interviews and Q&A posts on various websites. I’ve also initiated a series of email blasts, book announcements on sites such as LinkedIN, and Press Releases.

Q: Open to a random page in your book. Can you tell us what is happening?

The scene introduces our main female character, Andrea, who is depicted as an angelic pediatric nurse specializing in Neonatal Intensive Care. She’s making her last rounds on her last day before departing to another city to take a more senior management role in a larger children’s hospital. She visits her favorite patient, a badly deformed premature infant who has already survived longer than expected because of her professional, personal and spiritual care. She knows that her absence will result in the inevitable and places a tearful kiss on his check. With no vision or ability to hear, the tiny lifeless body could only tighten his grip on her finger… the last human contact he’d ever associate with.

Q: Do you plan subsequent books?

I’m nearly half way through the completion of my second manuscript. Depending on the success of Equity of Evil, we hope that this will become the second known novel in a trilogy to be known as The EQUITY Series. Not yet sure of the title… perhaps Equity of Pain?

Q: What is the one thing you learned about your book AFTER it was published?

That no matter how much research you complete, or how many professional edits the manuscript might undergo, there is always room for improvement. In the medical field, a good engineer never wants to release his final product to the market, always thinking he can further perfect it… one more improvement, one more enhancement. As the CEO, I had to pull it from his/her grip, and force it into the hands of the marketing staff. I now better understand that feeling!

Q: What is your most favorite time of the day or night to write?

Actually, both! I usually write more during the evening/night, but find that I often wake with a thought or idea that needs to be written down before it’s lost.

Q: What is usually better – the book or the movie?

Book. The imagination far exceeds the capabilities of Hollywood!

Q: You’re about to write your next book. What did you learn from your previous book to help you write your next book?

Everything… starting with POV and grammar, to how best to title the story and design its cover.

Q: Finally, what’s your best tip you can give to writers who want to be published?

I found that a Literary Agent really helps, but is also a challenge to secure if you’re a first time author without any brand recognition. Persistence is key!

Q: Thank you for your interview, Rudy. Do you have any final words?